Is Your Husband's Biological Clock Ticking?

posted by hitched @ 5:04 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Is Your Husband's Biological Clock Ticking?

posted by hitched @ 5:04 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

More Baby Formula Trouble

There might still be a battle going on between breast milk and baby formula, but some mothers out there might decide that nature's milk wins by default. After many recent scares about tainted baby formula, there is a new one. A new study from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a small study of 15 powdered formulas and the scientists found that all were contaminated with perchlorate. Perchlorate is a component of rocket fuel that's linked to thyroid disease. The study did not name the companies it studied, but did reveal that cow's milk formula with lactose had the highest perchlorate levels, compared to formulas that were soy-based, lactose-free or "elemental." Not sure if this will make you feel any better, but the Environmental Working Group found that perchlorate has been found to contaminate the drinking water in 28 states and territories. The baby formula study was conducted with perchlorate-free water. So what's next? This article (click here) says concerned parents should make sure that their infants have a diet with sufficient iodine, which can counteract perchlorate's harmful effects. They also added that the study didn't actually measure perchlorate in infants and that a study of that nature is essential to determine if infants are actually absorbing the perchlorate to which they're exposed to.

Labels: food, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 2:07 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

More Baby Formula Trouble

There might still be a battle going on between breast milk and baby formula, but some mothers out there might decide that nature's milk wins by default. After many recent scares about tainted baby formula, there is a new one. A new study from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a small study of 15 powdered formulas and the scientists found that all were contaminated with perchlorate. Perchlorate is a component of rocket fuel that's linked to thyroid disease. The study did not name the companies it studied, but did reveal that cow's milk formula with lactose had the highest perchlorate levels, compared to formulas that were soy-based, lactose-free or "elemental." Not sure if this will make you feel any better, but the Environmental Working Group found that perchlorate has been found to contaminate the drinking water in 28 states and territories. The baby formula study was conducted with perchlorate-free water. So what's next? This article (click here) says concerned parents should make sure that their infants have a diet with sufficient iodine, which can counteract perchlorate's harmful effects. They also added that the study didn't actually measure perchlorate in infants and that a study of that nature is essential to determine if infants are actually absorbing the perchlorate to which they're exposed to.

Labels: food, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 2:07 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Can Having a Kid Help Your Marriage?

The short answer: No. Brian Doss, a professor of psychology and his team at the University of Denver just published their findings in the current "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology." For the study, 218 couples were tracked over an eight-year period, comparing pre-birth and post-birth behavior patterns and how the arrival of the baby directly affected the relationship between the father and mother. Sure, having a baby can bring tremendous joy to a couple's life, but for most couples, Doss found that having a first child resulted in more marital problems. He says in a video that existing problems become exacerbated with the arrival of a new child. The article states that the birth of the first baby was followed by more problems in communication, decreases in couples' confidence that the marriage would last and declines in couples' overall satisfaction with the marriage. A really interesting finding was that mothers who gave birth to girls showed larger drops in marital satisfaction. Doss thinks this may be a result of fewer husbands being involved in the childcare tasks of girls compared to boys.

This is obviously not a study that will prevent people from having kids, but for the (hopefully) few couples out there who think having a kid will wash away their existing problems, the Doss's team has determined that a new child would most likely make them worse. Read the complete article here.

Labels: kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 4:56 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Can Having a Kid Help Your Marriage?

The short answer: No. Brian Doss, a professor of psychology and his team at the University of Denver just published their findings in the current "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology." For the study, 218 couples were tracked over an eight-year period, comparing pre-birth and post-birth behavior patterns and how the arrival of the baby directly affected the relationship between the father and mother. Sure, having a baby can bring tremendous joy to a couple's life, but for most couples, Doss found that having a first child resulted in more marital problems. He says in a video that existing problems become exacerbated with the arrival of a new child. The article states that the birth of the first baby was followed by more problems in communication, decreases in couples' confidence that the marriage would last and declines in couples' overall satisfaction with the marriage. A really interesting finding was that mothers who gave birth to girls showed larger drops in marital satisfaction. Doss thinks this may be a result of fewer husbands being involved in the childcare tasks of girls compared to boys.

This is obviously not a study that will prevent people from having kids, but for the (hopefully) few couples out there who think having a kid will wash away their existing problems, the Doss's team has determined that a new child would most likely make them worse. Read the complete article here.

Labels: kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 4:56 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Last Chance Marriage Therapy

ABC News video taped a couple, Kathryn and Heath (last names withheld), who are making a last ditch effort in a crash 5-hour marriage therapy session to see if their marriage can be saved. Their seems to be two big problems, his infidelity and her out of control kids from a previous marriage. This couple has bravely allowed their session to be taped and viewed. You can view clips of the first half of their session by clicking here. Just from the picture to the right, and making an assessment from their body language, you can see that this couple has a long way to go.

Labels: parenting, real people, TV

posted by hitched @ 10:32 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Last Chance Marriage Therapy

ABC News video taped a couple, Kathryn and Heath (last names withheld), who are making a last ditch effort in a crash 5-hour marriage therapy session to see if their marriage can be saved. Their seems to be two big problems, his infidelity and her out of control kids from a previous marriage. This couple has bravely allowed their session to be taped and viewed. You can view clips of the first half of their session by clicking here. Just from the picture to the right, and making an assessment from their body language, you can see that this couple has a long way to go.

Labels: parenting, real people, TV

posted by hitched @ 10:32 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Do You Spank Your Kids?

The debate rages on. Columnist, Jenny Sokol of the OC Register brings up this issue after a Swedish friend nearly called the police after witnessing a neighbor smack their child's behind--apparently, hitting children is not permitted in Sweden (perhaps this is worthy of further research and an in-depth article on child discipline throughout the world). Anyway, Sokol explained how it's very much still in debate in this country. Then she offers the many tactics she's used over the years to discipline and encourage including spanking, chores, sticker charts and so on. My favorite part of her column is the story of how an acquaintance got her four boys in line. She ordered a truck full of dirt to be dumped in her front yard and gave them each a shovel and wheelbarrow. "I need this moved to the backyard by tonight. Work together," she told them. By the time they finished, the boys were buddies again. The dirt was then ready to be moved back to the front yard for their next argument.

Where do you stand on this issue?

Labels: commentary, kids, parenting

posted by hitched @ 10:19 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Do You Spank Your Kids?

The debate rages on. Columnist, Jenny Sokol of the OC Register brings up this issue after a Swedish friend nearly called the police after witnessing a neighbor smack their child's behind--apparently, hitting children is not permitted in Sweden (perhaps this is worthy of further research and an in-depth article on child discipline throughout the world). Anyway, Sokol explained how it's very much still in debate in this country. Then she offers the many tactics she's used over the years to discipline and encourage including spanking, chores, sticker charts and so on. My favorite part of her column is the story of how an acquaintance got her four boys in line. She ordered a truck full of dirt to be dumped in her front yard and gave them each a shovel and wheelbarrow. "I need this moved to the backyard by tonight. Work together," she told them. By the time they finished, the boys were buddies again. The dirt was then ready to be moved back to the front yard for their next argument.

Where do you stand on this issue?

Labels: commentary, kids, parenting

posted by hitched @ 10:19 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Babysitter and Mommy Mixers

Finding a good, reliable babysitter that you trust can sometimes be difficult. If you have young kids, having a babysitter every once in a while so you and your spouse can go out and spend time with another is essential. Fortunately, the internet has made finding a babysitter a little bit easer, and even fun. There are several companies out there offering "mommy mixers," where moms can meet with each other and with prospecting babysitters. Some of these, like MommyMixer (www.mommymixer.com), require a registration fee ranging anywhere from $100 to $500 for a VIP membership, which gives you access to babysitters in different cities (for jet-setting parents), unlimited "immediate help" searches and more. MommyMixer is currently in over 50 cities throughout the country. If you're looking for something in the Tampa Bay area, there's Sitter Soirees (www.sittersoirees.com). Event registration at this site starts at $60.

Have you tried one of these services before? How was your experience? Would you recommend it to others?

Labels: event, kids, parenting

posted by hitched @ 10:09 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Babysitter and Mommy Mixers

Finding a good, reliable babysitter that you trust can sometimes be difficult. If you have young kids, having a babysitter every once in a while so you and your spouse can go out and spend time with another is essential. Fortunately, the internet has made finding a babysitter a little bit easer, and even fun. There are several companies out there offering "mommy mixers," where moms can meet with each other and with prospecting babysitters. Some of these, like MommyMixer (www.mommymixer.com), require a registration fee ranging anywhere from $100 to $500 for a VIP membership, which gives you access to babysitters in different cities (for jet-setting parents), unlimited "immediate help" searches and more. MommyMixer is currently in over 50 cities throughout the country. If you're looking for something in the Tampa Bay area, there's Sitter Soirees (www.sittersoirees.com). Event registration at this site starts at $60.

Have you tried one of these services before? How was your experience? Would you recommend it to others?

Labels: event, kids, parenting

posted by hitched @ 10:09 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Stay Married and Kids Less Likely to be Thieves

In an interesting project called Mapping America by the Family Research Council, it reports that family structure has a direct impact on the likelihood of adolescents stealing. The study says 13 percent of children who live in an intact married family admit to having stolen at least $50 worth of goods. The number jumps to 19 percent of children whose parents never married or are divorced have stolen as much, and again jumps to 20 percent of those living with a step-parent. The number of adolescents who steal drops to 15 percent of those living with cohabiting biological parents, and jumps up again to 23 percent of those living with one cohabiting biological parent.

It good that adolescents of married couples steal less, but doesn't it seem like 13 percent is high! That means if you walk down the street in your neighborhood, more than one in every 10 homes would have a real thief on their hands. We can do better than that. Not to mention these are just the kids who actually admitted to stealing. Yikes!!

Labels: kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 6:09 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Stay Married and Kids Less Likely to be Thieves

In an interesting project called Mapping America by the Family Research Council, it reports that family structure has a direct impact on the likelihood of adolescents stealing. The study says 13 percent of children who live in an intact married family admit to having stolen at least $50 worth of goods. The number jumps to 19 percent of children whose parents never married or are divorced have stolen as much, and again jumps to 20 percent of those living with a step-parent. The number of adolescents who steal drops to 15 percent of those living with cohabiting biological parents, and jumps up again to 23 percent of those living with one cohabiting biological parent.

It good that adolescents of married couples steal less, but doesn't it seem like 13 percent is high! That means if you walk down the street in your neighborhood, more than one in every 10 homes would have a real thief on their hands. We can do better than that. Not to mention these are just the kids who actually admitted to stealing. Yikes!!

Labels: kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 6:09 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Cell Phones and Internet Strengthen Family

It may seem like your kids texting away on their cell phones or keeping their eyes glued to online videos is tearing down the strength and tradition of family, but it's not. Well, tradition yes, but not strength. In a survey published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 25 percent of adults said cellphones and online communication made their families closer while 11 percent said that the technology had a negative effect. Overall, 47 percent of adults said cellphones and the Internet had improved the quality of family communication. One of the authors said the parents like the new communication tools because they know what each other is doing during the day. All of you parents out there can be thankful that your parents didn't text you throughout the day, keeping tabs.

Do you keep tabs on your kid(s) throughout the day by internet or cell phone?

Labels: kids, parenting, study, technology

posted by hitched @ 8:56 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Cell Phones and Internet Strengthen Family

It may seem like your kids texting away on their cell phones or keeping their eyes glued to online videos is tearing down the strength and tradition of family, but it's not. Well, tradition yes, but not strength. In a survey published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 25 percent of adults said cellphones and online communication made their families closer while 11 percent said that the technology had a negative effect. Overall, 47 percent of adults said cellphones and the Internet had improved the quality of family communication. One of the authors said the parents like the new communication tools because they know what each other is doing during the day. All of you parents out there can be thankful that your parents didn't text you throughout the day, keeping tabs.

Do you keep tabs on your kid(s) throughout the day by internet or cell phone?

Labels: kids, parenting, study, technology

posted by hitched @ 8:56 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

ADHD Kids Strain Marriages

It's not surprising that kids can affect and put strain on a marriage, but this stat is high. According to a study by State University of New York-Buffalo, parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are almost twice as likely as other parents to divorce by the time their child is 8 years old. The authors of the study say, however, that if you and your spouse can survive the eighth birthday, the rate of divorce stops climbing. Further adding to the stress is the fact that ADHD is hereditary and mothers with ADHD children are are 24 times more likely than other mothers to have it while fathers are five times more likely. Meaning, while trying to deal with a child, one of the parents is very likely to also have ADHD, which can be a point of conflict on its own. Some good news came out of this article from USA Today, researchers in Canada found no difference in divorce rate of parents with ADHD children. Do you have a child who's been diagnosed with ADHD; and has that affected your marriage?

Labels: advice, health, kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 10:41 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

ADHD Kids Strain Marriages

It's not surprising that kids can affect and put strain on a marriage, but this stat is high. According to a study by State University of New York-Buffalo, parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are almost twice as likely as other parents to divorce by the time their child is 8 years old. The authors of the study say, however, that if you and your spouse can survive the eighth birthday, the rate of divorce stops climbing. Further adding to the stress is the fact that ADHD is hereditary and mothers with ADHD children are are 24 times more likely than other mothers to have it while fathers are five times more likely. Meaning, while trying to deal with a child, one of the parents is very likely to also have ADHD, which can be a point of conflict on its own. Some good news came out of this article from USA Today, researchers in Canada found no difference in divorce rate of parents with ADHD children. Do you have a child who's been diagnosed with ADHD; and has that affected your marriage?

Labels: advice, health, kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 10:41 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Fan in Baby's Room May Prevent SIDS

A study from Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine says babies who slept in a room with a fan were 72% less likely to die from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). The study included interviews with the mothers of 185 infants who died from SIDS and the mothers of 312 other babies. In addition to fans, the simple act of opening a window also seemed to reduce the risk of SIDS. According to the this article from USA Today, doctors don't know exactly why fans seem to help, author De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente's research division says that perhaps the improved air circulation, preventing infants from rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide, which can pool up in the gap between a baby's face and the mattress is the reason. The good news is that deaths from SIDS has dropped in half since 1992 according to this article. Other things parents should do to help protect their babies are putting them on their back to sleep and don't put the baby in your bed and sleep with them.

Labels: health, kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 9:49 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Fan in Baby's Room May Prevent SIDS

A study from Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine says babies who slept in a room with a fan were 72% less likely to die from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). The study included interviews with the mothers of 185 infants who died from SIDS and the mothers of 312 other babies. In addition to fans, the simple act of opening a window also seemed to reduce the risk of SIDS. According to the this article from USA Today, doctors don't know exactly why fans seem to help, author De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente's research division says that perhaps the improved air circulation, preventing infants from rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide, which can pool up in the gap between a baby's face and the mattress is the reason. The good news is that deaths from SIDS has dropped in half since 1992 according to this article. Other things parents should do to help protect their babies are putting them on their back to sleep and don't put the baby in your bed and sleep with them.

Labels: health, kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 9:49 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Ford Key Monitors Teen Drivers

Are you a parent who sweats when your teen takes the family wheels out on the town? Ford feels your pain. They have recently introduced the MyKey, a programmable ignition key for Ford automobiles that monitors teenage driving behavior. So what can this magic key do? A lot of things. It can limit the speed of the car, say 80 mph. It can limit the volume of the stereo. It can prevent the stereo from even coming on if someone in the car isn't wearing their seat belt. It can also make warning sounds when your teen begins to hit higher speeds. For the parent who wants a play-by-play, this PC World article mentions that for a fee parents can have the key track the point-by-point destinations through the GPS.

What do you think, is this a little too big brother or what every parent has been waiting for? MyKey will be introduced as a free standard feature in the 2010 Ford Focus and Ford hopes to eventually make it a standard feature on all Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models. I'm sure kids everywhere are already talking to their smartest computer-hacking friends.

Labels: gadget, kids, news, parenting, travel

posted by hitched @ 5:26 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Ford Key Monitors Teen Drivers

Are you a parent who sweats when your teen takes the family wheels out on the town? Ford feels your pain. They have recently introduced the MyKey, a programmable ignition key for Ford automobiles that monitors teenage driving behavior. So what can this magic key do? A lot of things. It can limit the speed of the car, say 80 mph. It can limit the volume of the stereo. It can prevent the stereo from even coming on if someone in the car isn't wearing their seat belt. It can also make warning sounds when your teen begins to hit higher speeds. For the parent who wants a play-by-play, this PC World article mentions that for a fee parents can have the key track the point-by-point destinations through the GPS.

What do you think, is this a little too big brother or what every parent has been waiting for? MyKey will be introduced as a free standard feature in the 2010 Ford Focus and Ford hopes to eventually make it a standard feature on all Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models. I'm sure kids everywhere are already talking to their smartest computer-hacking friends.

Labels: gadget, kids, news, parenting, travel

posted by hitched @ 5:26 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Put Marriage Before Kids

This article from The Christian Science Monitor says the secret to a happy marriage is to put your marriage before your kids. By making your kids the center of your universe, parents become anxious and exhausted and it's not just bad for marriage, but in the end it's bad for the kids too. Here are some tips from the article:

There are three keys to a successful marriage and family:

1) Recognize that we've already chosen the perfect spouse. No, we would NOT choose better next time;

2) Recognize how often our fight-or-flight instinct overrides our passion in marriage. To create a happy marriage, we need to go from the fantasy, "It's his/her fault that I'm unhappy" to the truth, "I wouldn't do any better in my next marriage, so I might as well give 100 percent to this one;" and

3) Recognize that if we build a great marriage, we create a great role model for our kids, and they learn self-reliance and cooperation in the process.

Do you find that your kids come before your relationship?

Labels: advice, kids, parenting

posted by hitched @ 2:27 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Put Marriage Before Kids

This article from The Christian Science Monitor says the secret to a happy marriage is to put your marriage before your kids. By making your kids the center of your universe, parents become anxious and exhausted and it's not just bad for marriage, but in the end it's bad for the kids too. Here are some tips from the article:

There are three keys to a successful marriage and family:

1) Recognize that we've already chosen the perfect spouse. No, we would NOT choose better next time;

2) Recognize how often our fight-or-flight instinct overrides our passion in marriage. To create a happy marriage, we need to go from the fantasy, "It's his/her fault that I'm unhappy" to the truth, "I wouldn't do any better in my next marriage, so I might as well give 100 percent to this one;" and

3) Recognize that if we build a great marriage, we create a great role model for our kids, and they learn self-reliance and cooperation in the process.

Do you find that your kids come before your relationship?

Labels: advice, kids, parenting

posted by hitched @ 2:27 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Fewer Women Having Kids

New U.S. Census data reports that 23 percent of women ages 40 to 44 have no children, double the level of 30 years ago. Women who are having children are birthing an average of 1.9 children, compared with the mean average of 3.1 children in 1976. The data shows that women with graduate degrees have fewer children: 27 percent of 40 to 44-year old women with graduate or professional degrees are childless, compared with 18 percent of women who did not continue their education beyond high school. The data further shows that of all the women who had children in 2006, nearly 60 percent worked. These numbers have been leaning this way for a long time. What's your personal experience? Click here to read the complete article from the NY Times.

Labels: kids, parenting, pregnancy, study, women

posted by hitched @ 1:32 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Fewer Women Having Kids

New U.S. Census data reports that 23 percent of women ages 40 to 44 have no children, double the level of 30 years ago. Women who are having children are birthing an average of 1.9 children, compared with the mean average of 3.1 children in 1976. The data shows that women with graduate degrees have fewer children: 27 percent of 40 to 44-year old women with graduate or professional degrees are childless, compared with 18 percent of women who did not continue their education beyond high school. The data further shows that of all the women who had children in 2006, nearly 60 percent worked. These numbers have been leaning this way for a long time. What's your personal experience? Click here to read the complete article from the NY Times.

Labels: kids, parenting, pregnancy, study, women

posted by hitched @ 1:32 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Moms Get High on Baby's Smile

A study of 28 first-time moms revealed that seeing pictures of their babies' smiles activated parts of the brain that signals a hormone called dopamine. When a mother sees their baby smile, they get a rush of dopamine, the same chemical rush that occurs when people use cocaine or nicotine. The study helps explain how the brain fosters maternal devotion, effectively making mothers addicted to their babies. An excerpt from the article explains the other side of things:

The study may also shed light on postpartum depression, which affects one in 10 new mothers, says Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of California-San Francisco who was not involved in the study. In depressed women, dopamine levels may be too low for women to respond to their babies, Brizendine says. Antidepressants, which replenish dopamine levels, often help these women.

The results of this study are interesting, but it is only with 28 mothers. But seriously, those little dimpled baby cheeks are too cute not to get you high. Click here to read the full article.

Labels: kids, parenting, study, women

posted by hitched @ 9:44 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Moms Get High on Baby's Smile

A study of 28 first-time moms revealed that seeing pictures of their babies' smiles activated parts of the brain that signals a hormone called dopamine. When a mother sees their baby smile, they get a rush of dopamine, the same chemical rush that occurs when people use cocaine or nicotine. The study helps explain how the brain fosters maternal devotion, effectively making mothers addicted to their babies. An excerpt from the article explains the other side of things:

The study may also shed light on postpartum depression, which affects one in 10 new mothers, says Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of California-San Francisco who was not involved in the study. In depressed women, dopamine levels may be too low for women to respond to their babies, Brizendine says. Antidepressants, which replenish dopamine levels, often help these women.

The results of this study are interesting, but it is only with 28 mothers. But seriously, those little dimpled baby cheeks are too cute not to get you high. Click here to read the full article.

Labels: kids, parenting, study, women

posted by hitched @ 9:44 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Hospitals Do Poorly on Breast-feeding Support

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave U.S. hospitals an average score of 63 out of 100 for their support of breast feeding. The report says the states in New England and the West Coast had the highest scores, while hospitals in the South recorded the lowest scores. Of those states, Vermont and New Hampshire were tops, both with a score of 81, while Arkansas sat at the bottom with a 48. The MSNBC article says:

Breast-feeding is considered beneficial to both mothers and their babies. Breast milk contains antibodies that can protect newborns from infections, and studies have found breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight than those fed with formula.

Have you had a recent experience like this? How would you grade your hospital's breast-feeding support?

Labels: health, parenting, pregnancy, study

posted by hitched @ 12:23 AM  1 Comments Links to this post

Hospitals Do Poorly on Breast-feeding Support

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave U.S. hospitals an average score of 63 out of 100 for their support of breast feeding. The report says the states in New England and the West Coast had the highest scores, while hospitals in the South recorded the lowest scores. Of those states, Vermont and New Hampshire were tops, both with a score of 81, while Arkansas sat at the bottom with a 48. The MSNBC article says:

Breast-feeding is considered beneficial to both mothers and their babies. Breast milk contains antibodies that can protect newborns from infections, and studies have found breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight than those fed with formula.

Have you had a recent experience like this? How would you grade your hospital's breast-feeding support?

Labels: health, parenting, pregnancy, study

posted by hitched @ 12:23 AM  1 Comments Links to this post

4 Parents Sue Baby Bottle Makers

Four Ohio parents have filed a federal lawsuit against Evenflo, Avent America, Handicraft, Playtex Products and Gerber Novartis claiming the bottles were made from a harmful chemical and that the companies knew that a chemical were associated with health problems but didn't disclose the risk. The chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) was identified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program in April showing "some concern" that the chemical caused changes in behavior and the brain, early puberty and possibly precancerous changes in the prostate and breast. This report prompted Wal-Mart to stop selling bottles with BPA by early next year and Toys R Us has said it will purge its shelves of BPA-containing bottles by year's end. Saying all that, here's what the article from the Washington Post says:

Many of the studies that have reported higher levels were conducted under unrealistic conditions, said Dr. Norris Alderson, the Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for science.

"Although our review is ongoing, there's no reason to recommend consumers stop using products" with BPA, he said.

Labels: health, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 12:47 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

4 Parents Sue Baby Bottle Makers

Four Ohio parents have filed a federal lawsuit against Evenflo, Avent America, Handicraft, Playtex Products and Gerber Novartis claiming the bottles were made from a harmful chemical and that the companies knew that a chemical were associated with health problems but didn't disclose the risk. The chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) was identified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program in April showing "some concern" that the chemical caused changes in behavior and the brain, early puberty and possibly precancerous changes in the prostate and breast. This report prompted Wal-Mart to stop selling bottles with BPA by early next year and Toys R Us has said it will purge its shelves of BPA-containing bottles by year's end. Saying all that, here's what the article from the Washington Post says:

Many of the studies that have reported higher levels were conducted under unrealistic conditions, said Dr. Norris Alderson, the Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for science.

"Although our review is ongoing, there's no reason to recommend consumers stop using products" with BPA, he said.

Labels: health, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 12:47 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

Newlyweds With Baby Battle Marital Dissatisfaction

Erika Lawrence, a psychology professor released a study funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health that says newlyweds who have children, even those who planned to have children in their early years of married have a much greater drop in marital satisfaction than newlyweds who do not have kids. This article from the Times Online doesn't offer an explanation on why, but it does make sense if you think about it. When you have a child, your attention must be on them. Even when you put forth an effort to nurture your marriage, it's bound to lose time to the new child. That doesn't mean don't have children. The study goes on to say that after 18 months, the marital satisfaction rebounds. So keep this in mind when your first baby is on the way--continue to focus on each other and your marriage.

Labels: kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 9:44 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Newlyweds With Baby Battle Marital Dissatisfaction

Erika Lawrence, a psychology professor released a study funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health that says newlyweds who have children, even those who planned to have children in their early years of married have a much greater drop in marital satisfaction than newlyweds who do not have kids. This article from the Times Online doesn't offer an explanation on why, but it does make sense if you think about it. When you have a child, your attention must be on them. Even when you put forth an effort to nurture your marriage, it's bound to lose time to the new child. That doesn't mean don't have children. The study goes on to say that after 18 months, the marital satisfaction rebounds. So keep this in mind when your first baby is on the way--continue to focus on each other and your marriage.

Labels: kids, parenting, study

posted by hitched @ 9:44 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Yikes! One-Third of Married Moms Cheat

Cookie magazine and the AOL Body website conducted a poll of 30,000 moms. The shocking results revealed that 34 percent of married moms said they had cheated on their spouses after having children. Moreover, only 36 percent said they are as attracted to their husbands now as when they first married. If that weren't enough, more than half say even if they haven't cheated, they've considered it. Lastly, 69 percent said they would have sex with their husband even if they weren't in the mood.

If these numbers are in fact true, I'd say marriage is in a state of emergency. That means one out of three marriages is broken. If you were selling a product where one out of three items sold were broken, you'd put a screeching stop to what was going on, find the problem and try to fix it. Let's find the problems and fix them because a good marriage is worth it. What do you think the problems are?

Labels: parenting, study, women

posted by hitched @ 9:49 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Yikes! One-Third of Married Moms Cheat

Cookie magazine and the AOL Body website conducted a poll of 30,000 moms. The shocking results revealed that 34 percent of married moms said they had cheated on their spouses after having children. Moreover, only 36 percent said they are as attracted to their husbands now as when they first married. If that weren't enough, more than half say even if they haven't cheated, they've considered it. Lastly, 69 percent said they would have sex with their husband even if they weren't in the mood.

If these numbers are in fact true, I'd say marriage is in a state of emergency. That means one out of three marriages is broken. If you were selling a product where one out of three items sold were broken, you'd put a screeching stop to what was going on, find the problem and try to fix it. Let's find the problems and fix them because a good marriage is worth it. What do you think the problems are?

Labels: parenting, study, women

posted by hitched @ 9:49 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Surprise! Mom Does More than Dad at Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that married mothers with full time jobs are more likely to do housework and provide childcare on an average day than married fathers who also have a full time job. This doesn't really seem surprising, but what's up with that guys? The report also says married moms who are not employed spend an average of 3.6 hours per day on housework, compared with 2 hours for those with full-time jobs and 1 hour for those who worked part-time. It's a little weird that full time mothers do more housework than those working part-time. Do you divide the housework and childcare evenly in your household?

Labels: men, parenting, study, women, work

posted by hitched @ 11:54 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

Surprise! Mom Does More than Dad at Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that married mothers with full time jobs are more likely to do housework and provide childcare on an average day than married fathers who also have a full time job. This doesn't really seem surprising, but what's up with that guys? The report also says married moms who are not